The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a Rajasthan man wanted in a case related to the seizure of 18.56 kg of gold bars at the Jaipur airport in 2020. According to officials, the gold was being smuggled from Saudi Arabia.
The arrested man has been identified as Mohabbat Ali, a resident of Rajasthan, who was also considered as the “most wanted” accused in the case. According to reports, he had been on the run since September 2020.
Gold was being smuggled into India from Riyadh
Meanwhile, the NIA said the gold bars, which had a market worth of more than Rs 9 crore, were intercepted while they were being smuggled into India from Riyadh as part of a criminal plot to undermine the nation’s monetary stability and economic security.
A Red Corner Notice (RCN) and a Look Out Circular (LOC) were issued against him, a spokesperson of the federal agency said. The accused—Mohabbat Ali, Subhash, Md Maqbool Sheikh, Chuna Ram, and Amjad Ali—had hidden the gold bars in a battery of emergency lights for smuggling into India. On March 22, 2021, the NIA filed a charge sheet against Mohabbat Ali under different provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
NIA declared Mohabbat Ali as ‘most wanted’
The agency had declared Mohabbat Ali as the “most wanted” accused and announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh on information leading to his arrest. Earlier in March 2021, he was declared a proclaimed offender by a special court and a non-bailable warrant was also issued against him, the spokesperson said, adding that a Red Corner Notice was issued against him on September 13, 2021. It should be mentioned here that the NIA’s investigation revealed that Mohabbat Ali had provided the gold bars to Subhash and Maqbool Sheikh to be carried from Riyadh to Jaipur.
(With inputs from PTI)
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